French bulldog (Frenchie) custom pet portrait from photo

I have been working on this dog portrait for a fair bit now and I will soon be adding the backdrop once the feet are done. I love using soft pastels on this velour panel because I can achieve the softness of the fur quite nicely. I hope you will keep on following to see how this little fella turned out!

More work on my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AnimalArtistryPortraits/ and website www.colettetheriault.com

Portrait of Belgian Malinois Painting in Pastel

As promised, here is the finished and client approved version of the Belgian Malinois dog portrait using pastels.

After sketching the outline and major features of the dog, I worked the top half of the background first.  Then I started with the ears and worked my way down the dog's face. The last part was adding the darker green on the lower half of the background.

You can follow the work in progress on my website

"Zorro"

Belgian Malinois

pastel

9" x 12"

COMMISSION

Dog Portrait Commission from photo

I will be working this special commission in between others to reach deadlines. Can anybody guess the breed?

I am using pastels on archival suede which is one of my favorite supports, and the portrait measures 11x14. I hope you will follow me and that you will enjoy watching this piece progress!

The start of a new dog portrait revealed

 At the clients' request, I have not been able to share the progress or final portrait of two of my recently completed commissions. We would not want to ruin the surprise now, would we?  In due time, I will share with you those two paintings I have to keep secret for now.

In the meantime, I am able to share the current painting on the easel. I am facing a rather tough challenge.
 To put things in perspective, the reference image of the subject measures  6" x 3.2" and along with several other not-so-good shots, is to be used to create a large 18"x24" head/shoulder portrait.
  Unfortunately, the pet has passed away and the owner has only poor quality photos to hand me. In this case, I will have to dig into my extensive library of dog images to help me with the details of this Golden Retriever's portrait as well as rely on the client's feedback with the help of work-in-progress updates.

original photo

 

mock up image of portrait using photo above

work in progress of Golden Retriever painting

 

Shetland Sheepdog painting progress

 

I'm amazed at how fast I am able to work this portrait today...perhaps it is ambition or even confidence when a piece seems to come along so easily. But I attribute that in part to an excellent reference photo and a an outstanding subject!

 

Progress of bird on a wire painting

There was quite a bit of blending and layering happening in the background this afternoon. I wanted to achieve a glowing effect using warm colors so that the brown sparrow would stand out against the lighter backdrop.

 I have not added the fencepost wire at this stage and so the bird looks like it is floating but that will change in the next update.

 

I am using pastel on light sage colored suede for this piece.

 

Painting update of the little frog

Little by little the frog in this painting is becoming more apparent amongst the green foliage of the ferns. The cryptic coloration is essential if the frog wants to avoid becoming a hungry predator's next meal! This frog also has the stunning ability to change skin color and pattern to better blend in with his surroundings.

Progress of the chrysalis painting

Last but not least in the series of butterfly paintings features the chrysalis stage of the Monarch. Safely nestled amongst the common milkweed leaves, the chrysalis is anchored on the midrib (central or principle vein) on the underside of a single leaf.

Painting update of the little winged jewel!

Although I was not able to continue working on my painting today, I thought I should share what I completed last night. The lower border of the wings are edged in black and riddled in several rows of white dots which will require my utmost concentration in order to follow the pattern correctly.

Thanks for following and I watch for the finished painting in my next update!

Butterfly painting in progress

I don't usually relish the task of recreating backgrounds that much but I thoroughly enjoyed painting this one....minus the flower cluster!! I guess it is coming along but I will remember to stay away from tiny intricate flowers when working small scale!

Below is the progress of the 4th butterfly painting in the series and features the adult stage of the Monarch butterfly enjoying a sip of nectar from the flowers of the common milkweed plant. Once I am satisfied and done with the look of the flowers I get to paint the bold colors of the monarch!

Insect Painting in progress

 The next three paintings in the butterfly series will feature the egg, larvae, pupae and adult stages of the same species of butterfly. 

I am quite certain many of you will recognize this caterpillar and the species of butterfly it belongs to. The toxic plant it feeds on is called milkweed (swamp milkweed in this case) and the noxious substance is absorbed by the insect and persists in the butterfly stage to make it unpalatable to any would-be predators.

The pastel painting below of the larval stage will also include the egg stage as I will add tiny egg cases on one of the leaves.

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Painting in pastel

I woke up early this morning to work on the little bit that needed to be done to call this miniature painting finished! This butterfly painting is the second in a series of four.

The most challenging aspect of  this painting was reproducing the profusion of tiny white flowers but I enjoyed it immensely!  Of course, adding the details of the beautiful tiger swallowtail was also fun.

The photo reference I used for this painting was taken in my own garden when my Bridal Wreath Spirea was in full bloom. 

"Swallowtail and Spirea"
(Papilio canadensis) and (Spiraea prunifolia)
pastel
6" x 4"
SOLD

Grey Percheron Horse Portrait Commission: Painting in Pastel

I've completed the commission of  the horse painting today and am quite delighted that the clients immediately approved the sample image sent to them. All is left to do is fix the pastel and package the portrait for delivery!

For more information about this and other horse paintings, please visit my website at
http://www.colettetheriault.com/horseportraits.php

"Barney"
Percheron/Thoroughbred cross
Pastel
18" x 24"
Commission

I have always felt that a reproduction never truly captures the exact likeness of any painting as it often seems to miss the subtle variations in hues and color tones.  While this happens with prints, it  is especially true when viewing an image on a computer screen due to variations in monitor brands and individual settings.  Although the image above is a good representation of the artwork, I can see the differences when comparing it to the original.  Perhaps I am too much of a perfectionist, but this is an issue that I keep bumping into when preparing files or running prints of my work.

Equine art on the easel

Many  layers of pastel were needed to create the dappling effect on this horse neck. I will most likely go back and tone down several areas...or not...I'll  have a better idea once the chest area is completed. Stay tuned!

 

Horse painting progress: adding the muzzle

At this stage, the horse is finally coming to life now that his muzzle has been painted! There is still lots more work to do as I begin on the beautifully dappled neck. Let's just hope the pattern doesn't drive me crazy!

 

New Pet Portrait in Pastel on the easel...

I've sketched and begun adding the eyes and ears of this horse commission. I will continue to paint the rest of the fur and mane on the face, working in a downward motion, before proceeding to the neck and muzzle. I am using sand colored suede as the support as it will become the background color for the portrait. 

Dog Portrait of Golden Retriever and Labrador mix

I love the look and feel of pastel on suede as it gives the portrait a soft and delicate appearance...so much so that the viewer is tempted to pet or stroke the dogs. 

 

I decided to add a few coats of spray fixative to this larger painting to ensure the pastel stays where it is supposed to. This prevents unwanted loose dust to dirty the glass and mat once the portrait is framed.

To read more about this dog portrait visit my website at http://www.colettetheriault.com/descriptions/petdescriptions/dogs_portrait.php

Lexxie and Dakota
Dog Portrait Commission
Pastel
18x16

Progress on the Golden Retriever portrait painting in pastel

Today, I've almost completed the Retriever's body fur; having only part of the legs and feet to do before I continue to fill in the grass.

In the next update, I should have begun working on the second dog in this portrait commission.



 

Backdrop for Dog portrait painting in progress

In this step I added several layers of pastel to create the blurred out background for this portrait. Four different shades of green were used for the grass, (three shades on top of each other) with a solid color for the darker band or greenery across the very top. I may still go back at the very end and soften the background more.

 

Now that the background is pretty much done, I will be able to go back and add the final layer of  fringe fur around the golden retriever's head and complete the fur on the rest of her body.

 

Golden Retriever Portrait painting update

You might notice on this update that the dog's left eye has changed position slightly. After looking at them over and over again and observing the image in the mirror, it was apparent that a touch up was in order.

The colors are much richer in real life than on the update below which was taken with a camera.  I reserve the final scan and color adjustment for the last update as I'd rather be painting than spending time matching an update to the original.